The invention relates to processing equipment, and particularly to an arrangement which provides advantageous thermal and/or electrical contact between chamber parts inside of the processing equipment. In an illustrated embodiment, a wedge ring assembly couples a chamber liner of with a chamber wall in a semiconductor processing apparatus, so that the temperature of the liner more closely matches that of the chamber wall. The invention can also have applications to processing equipment other than semiconductor processing equipment, e.g., equipment utilized in manufacturing components for liquid crystal displays.
Discussion of Background
Various types of processing equipment are utilized in the manufacture of electronic devices such as semiconductor devices or panels used in liquid crystal displays. For example, deposition equipment is utilized for depositing films or layers upon a semiconductor wafer. xe2x80x9cEtchersxe2x80x9d typically utilize a plasma to remove or etch portions of a film or layer from a wafer to form the desired features or devices upon the wafer. Due to the extremely small size of the features formed in semiconductor processing, the processing equipment must be carefully and precisely controlled. The equipment usually includes a xe2x80x9cchamberxe2x80x9d or enclosed region, within which the environment is controlled for optimal processing of the wafers. Typically, it is desirable to control the temperature and/or the electrical potential of parts disposed inside of the chamber or which define the chamber of the processing equipment. For example, a process chamber can include a chamber wall which is covered by a liner so that the liner can be periodically replaced (or removed for cleaning) without requiring replacement of the entire chamber wall. However, where it is desired to control the temperature or electrical state of the chamber, it can be difficult to provide an economical assembly which ensures good contact between the chamber wall and the chamber liner so that the chamber liner assumes the temperature and/or electrical condition of the chamber wall.
In order to ensure good coupling between the chamber wall and the chamber liner, the liner can be precisely manufactured to conform to the size and shape of the chamber wall and ensure good thermal and/or electrical contact. Alternately, the chamber wall can be designed to include an integral ledge or shelf region upon which the liner is seated, such that the seating arrangement of the liner and chamber wall ensures good thermal and/or electrical contact. However, such arrangements suffer from a number of shortcomings. For example, precisely machined parts can be extremely expensive and could nevertheless result in a poorly coupled assembly if the liner is deformed slightly during handling or use (e.g., due to thermal cycling) of the parts. Further, the provision of an integral ledge or shelf to serve as a contact seat for a chamber liner can increase the manufacturing complexity of the chamber wall. Moreover, the integral ledge solution is unacceptable on a retrofit basis where the chamber wall was originally manufactured without such a ledge or shelf. Accordingly, an arrangement is needed which provides for improved thermal and/or electrical contact between chamber parts in equipment for manufacturing electronic devices. Preferably such an arrangement is suitable for use as original equipment, but also could be utilized on a retrofit basis where a contact problem between chamber parts has been discovered.
The present invention provides an assembly which improves the thermal and/or electrical contact between chamber parts in equipment used for manufacturing electronic devices such as semiconductors. In a presently preferred form, a soft metal gasket is pressed between surfaces of chamber parts utilizing a wedge assembly. The gasket can have various forms as long as it ensures a reliable coupling between the chamber parts once assembled. In a presently preferred form, the gasket is a split ring having a V-shaped cross-section. The gasket has a dimension which is larger (before assembly of the parts) than the dimension or space between adjacent chamber parts which are to be coupled. However, the gasket is compressible so that once the parts are assembled, the gasket is compressed and coupling of the parts is ensured. In one preferred form of the invention, the gasket is inelastically compressed when the parts are assembled and a relatively permanent coupling is achieved upon assembly. Preferably, one of the parts of the wedge system includes an inclined surface which further assists in compressing the gasket between the parts upon assembly.